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Thorns of Life talks self-released album, colloquialisms

Contributed by avi. Posted by aubin on Friday, January 30, 2009 at 1:00 PM (EST)

The Silver Sprocket Bicycle Club posted an interview with Blake Schwarzenbach of Thorns Of Life (previously of Jawbreaker and Jets To Brazil), where Blake discusses topics such as house shows, the band's upcoming release plans, cocaine addicted indy rockers running the English language, and drunken bike riding.

Noteworthy is that the band plans to self-release an album in the near future, and that Blake has to put a dollar into a "cuss jar" every time he says the word "awesome." Regarding an album:

I see no need for a label. None of us know how people do music for sale anymore, so we are trying to figure that one out, but nobody is really buying music anyway. We might as well do it ourselves and lose money that way.

The full interview can be found on the Silver Sprocket website.

Silver Sprocket (149 comments)

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. Seriously.

the_other_scott (January 30, 2009)

i hate when indy rockers run the english language.

kidding.

baldsteve's gotta be pretty amped. i'm sure all this Blake talk is bringing him back to his late twenties when Jawbreaker was still around.

2+ Replies

baldsteve (January 30, 2009)

Goddamn right. Can't wait. I'll prepay now.

the_other_scott (January 30, 2009)

i like the fact that i made fun of you for being old (i don't even think you're that much older than i am) and all you care about is the album. that means you're punk rock. i looked it up. you're a punk, and i'm telling everyone.

baldsteve (January 30, 2009)

I'm excited for it. I was 22 when they broke up. You could call me a dog dick and I wouldn't be offended.

2Kings (January 30, 2009)

lets give this a try.

dog dick!

baldsteve (January 30, 2009)

you motherfucker

2Kings (January 30, 2009)

my feelings! they are hurt now!

Avi (February 2, 2009)

thats a typo, should have been "ruin"

b0cephus (January 30, 2009)

Drunken bike riding is something I can really get behind.

3+ Replies

DarthNader (January 30, 2009)

Bui

Dante3000 (rich) (January 30, 2009)

Me too...on my car as I plow them into hell and gone.
-Dante

Ravnos (January 31, 2009)

As the police were scraping him off the fender
A friend of his had said that he had been on a bender
And that he had a huge fight, yeah he had a fight with his wife
Then he got pissed off and rode off on his bike

Won't somebody help me please
Scrape this man up off the road?

Seriously though, there are few things better than loading a backpack up with cheap beer and riding around town.

actually_OFFENDS_me (January 30, 2009)

Another thing that actually OFFENDS me, which is hard to to these days, are the people who are pissed that musicians make money. The strange, slow, old people on punknews.org and the few annoying stragglers on this website.

punkbytheounce (January 30, 2009)

Neat.
Love that quote.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Even if you like Jawbreaker and Jets To Brazil, you probably realize that both those bands inspired emo teenagers to whine into microphones, a phenomenon that I hope we can all agree on as a bad thing.

Therefore, Blake Schwarzen. should stop before he does any more harm to our nation. We should all petition him.

11+ Replies

Dante3000 (rich) (January 30, 2009)

Worked for Marlyn Manson.
-Dante

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

It speaks to Blake Schwarzen.'s desperation to get into the spotlight again.

Dante3000 (rich) (January 30, 2009)

I can only hope he gets a pair of breasts.
-Dante

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

He and Danyella are going to switch sexes.

Dante3000 (rich) (January 30, 2009)

But that wouldn't increase the number of breasts...Simply maintain.
This is unacceptable.
-Dante

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Where do YOU propose to get them from, moron?

Ravnos (January 31, 2009)

Fat men?

Dudley_Shale (January 30, 2009)

Will it be hot?

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Have you ever SEEN either of them naked?

BarleyPat (January 30, 2009)

Ummmmmmmm. 1.) Blake was never really in the "spotlight". More of an underground cult following. 2.) If he really were desperate to get into the spotlight, releasing a DIY album would not be the way to do that.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

"Look, I'm decreasing the scope of my band to appear cool! Everyone flock to me!"

--Blake Schwarzen.

BarleyPat (January 30, 2009)

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Blake fanboy like many on here. I like Jawbreaker, but they are nowhere near one of my favorite bands.

Once your joke has run it's course (your time is short, my friend) will you please unmask yourself for the org?

dlangl4 (January 30, 2009)

Pabst

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Blue Moon.

baldsteve (January 30, 2009)

Blue moon! Egads you are a girl. That's terrible, just drink soap.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Egads you are a girl.

Like, you're insulting me for having girly taste? I'm confused.

baldsteve (January 30, 2009)

Just never met anybody that drank that stuff on purpose. Still wasn't an insult, more of an affirmation.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Blue Moon is tasty. It's like the not-Jawbreaker of beers.

baldsteve (January 30, 2009)

I'd rather get Cousin Randy'd with a warm sixpack than drink Blue Moon. I don't get the tasty part. I really think it tastes like hand-soap, has the same response on my digestive system.

Newcastle is a tasty beer.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Taste buds must be burnt out, and your gut just can't take quality.

baldsteve (January 30, 2009)

Not denying them being burnt out. But I'm all about quality, granted I can just as easily kill some ice cold High Life...

My guts are all about quality.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

I don't believe you. What happens when you eat Twix bars?

baldsteve (January 30, 2009)

Probably the same thing that happens to birds when you feed them alka-seltzer

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

You must be, like 70. Dog dick.

baldsteve (January 30, 2009)

Cut it in half.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

A gecko?

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

You know who I am.

miniblindbandit (January 30, 2009)

"It did. We had just been hanging out for a couple years now. I was teaching, he was selling books. We would just rendezvous once a month and go for a walk and talk about what was happening in the classroom, in the book world, in the music world. We had been flirting...and finally it just happened, mostly due to Aaron’s perseverance."

i figured you'd have a field day with that one.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

But it's too easy. Besides, everyone knows how "perseverant" Cometbus can be.

baldsteve (January 30, 2009)

Also inspired bands like Broccoli, Jolt and Hellbender...some of my favorite stuff ever.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

All those bands suck.

Therefore, you suck too!

baldsteve (January 30, 2009)

Wow, coming from you that means nothing.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

My opinions are worthy of respect due to my stature in society.

baldsteve (January 30, 2009)

Bottom feeder is pretty low though

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

You don't know Thing 1 about me, and you insult me so?

baldsteve (January 30, 2009)

Oh, you took that as an insult?

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Please apologize.

MisFit4Me (February 1, 2009)

I think your hair is flipped over your eye and your jeans are too tight. Should have listened to less Jawbreaker maaaaang.

Scruffy (January 30, 2009)

I know I shouldn't fee the troll, but I felt like mentioning that Jawbreaker also helped inspire The Get-Up Kids, so that's good enough for me.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Really? Even their early stuff was super whiny and annoying.

AnarchyPants (January 30, 2009)

Jawbreaker_sucks will you be my valentine?

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Maybe. Chocolate involved?

AnarchyPants (January 31, 2009)

I was trying to think of some kind of chocolate pun that mixes up the name of one of their songs but their song titles are kind of boring so I couldn't come up with anything.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

thornsoflifenews.org

Are the editors TRYING to anger me?

10+ Replies

Dudley_Shale (January 30, 2009)

Yes.

Throw cakes at them.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Good idea, you're coming around!

How about this, you bend down behind them, I'll push them over you.

Dudley_Shale (January 30, 2009)

You know what? I'm in.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Another member for the Most Righteous Cause.

RamblinBoyOfPleasure (January 30, 2009)

you're funny to read but I don't htinkanyone cares anymore and you're hardly gonna change peoples minds on the matter.you either love him or hate him and you're definitely not gonna change opinions.i doubt he really cares about "being in the spotlight".rock on though!

Dudley_Shale (January 30, 2009)

I love Blake, but she's too awesome to ignore.

Join us with cake debauchery.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

More cakes, and pushing!

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Raising awareness is what got yuppies to carry around reusable shopping bags, like old ladies have been doing for centuries.

Now, I bring the same idea to dismantle Blake Schwarzen.'s career.

dlangl4 (January 30, 2009)

No. They just don't give a fuck about you.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

I don't know... Blake Schwarzen. isn't worth this level of coverage on his own, you know.

RamblinBoyOfPleasure (January 30, 2009)

yeah thats why it says "thorns of life", the band. whoooooo hooooooooo

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Oh, you SLAY me. You'll get yours....

dlangl4 (January 30, 2009)

Yeah. My point really was that they post the news they want. Someone whines about it on every thread, "Why post an article about this band?" etc.

It does seem that some bands/people do get more coverage than others, but it also kind of makes sense, given that this guy and Jawbreaker are well liked around here.

In other words, extra articles about Blake Schwarzen is more understandable than extra articles about Mest.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Really? How much can you hear about this band before you get fed up?

dlangl4 (January 30, 2009)

I don't get fed up about things like that.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

What DOES fed you up? (feed you up?)

dlangl4 (January 30, 2009)

The price of plane tickets. I check every day to see if I can catch a deal, but I know that I'm gonna end up spending more than I want. Ya feel me?

Really though, nothing feeds me up more than the Transformers movie. I did not like it one bit.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Shia LaBoeuf is worse at life than Blake Schwarzen.

ShiaLaBoeufSucks (January 30, 2009)

You're goddamn right he is.

dlangl4 (January 30, 2009)

The three of us are in agreement then.

Where is Baldsteve and his nuclear arsenol? Shia LaBeouf needs to be nuked to hell, and I want all traces of his existence to either be destroyed or radioactive.

Cos (January 30, 2009)

One can only hope.

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

You and Obama can sit around hoping, I'm going to go out there and DO SOMETHING.

throw_away (January 30, 2009)

wait. a few months ago, it was againstmenews.org.

i'm confused by you people. will it become (some other band)news.org when (some other band) starts to do a lot of "news-worthy" shit?

hang on, i think i get it now. this is the analogy:

the more news there is about something, the "gayer" it is.

correct? okay.

there haven't been any recent news postings about DEICIDE, thus they are totally cool/not gay.

i disagree.

xshoutoutx (January 30, 2009)

really good interview. I have to agree with Blake's stance on pedantry. I love me some Propagandhi, and I get that that is what they are all about, but man for being such 'open-minded' guys, they sure like to shove shit right down your throat. I just like it when important issues are introduced, and it is up to the individual whether or not they will soak it in or not.

Supporting Caste shall be marvelous!

4+ Replies

deadelectromix (January 30, 2009)

I like how in Refusing to be a Man, he says "I'm not going to try and tell you I'm different from all the rest," then continues to give you reasons he's different from all the rest.

dlangl4 (January 30, 2009)

I think you kind of took that quote out of context and then incorrectly compared it to the rest of the song. He explains what he meant by that quote in the very next line: "I've been subject to the same de-structure of desire and I've felt the same effects."

He is saying that he is like everyone else in two ways: that it is at least a somewhat natural to be prejudice, and also that he was taught growing up to be a sexist.

And then within that context, he spends the rest of the song describing the struggle to overcome both of those things.

ChrisHannah (January 30, 2009)

haha

pwned, etc...

ChrisHannah (January 30, 2009)

I resemble this comment!

signaldistress (January 30, 2009)

i really can't wait to see this band. A band that's compromised of two of the most interesting people in punk rock. I feel like they could just go on a tour where people pay five bucks to hang out in a basement with blake and aaron and just hang out and chat, i'd pay 5 bucks for that.

deadXlast (January 30, 2009)

I didn't like this interviewer at all, but I can't complain because he's talking to Blake and I can't do that, so I'll take what I can get.

I like that Blake is writing about really heavy subjects now. Not like any JB or JTB songs were dumb, but stuff like post-traumatic stress disorder is a pretty serious topic for a punk song.

2+ Replies

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Not like any JB or JTB songs were dumb

Listen to the song "Bad Scene, Everyone's Fault."

deadXlast (January 30, 2009)

0/10

Too obvious.

Dudley_Shale (January 30, 2009)

Am I the only one stoked that Brian Moss interviewed him? That makes me giddy.

Cos (January 30, 2009)

Sunday lineup at Coachella is sooooo punk!

X, Fucked Up, Night Marchers, Gaslight Anthem, Paul Weller (and of course the Cure, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Throbbing Gristle)

Gone are the days that each day had ONE punk band (ie: Against Me)

1+ Reply

billnye (January 30, 2009)

gaslight anthem is not a punk band.
and my bloody valentine?

ThisKidsAlright (January 30, 2009)

First band T-shirt

GO!

Less Than Jake

22+ Replies

blue_drink (January 30, 2009)

Goldfinger!

SydBarrett420 (January 30, 2009)

Danzig

SalsaShark (January 30, 2009)

Hahaha

Same!

signaldistress (January 30, 2009)

The Uglies

dlangl4 (January 30, 2009)

Catch 22

BarleyPat (January 30, 2009)

Honestly?

Metallica - got it on the tour for the Black album.

nina_d (January 30, 2009)

blink 182 :]

miniblindbandit (January 30, 2009)

digger

baldsteve (January 30, 2009)

Huey Lewis and the News. Got it on the "sports" tour

Preston (January 30, 2009)

You're so lucky.

baldsteve (January 30, 2009)

I don't care what anybody thinks. that show was fun.

Preston (January 30, 2009)

I was being sincere.

baldsteve (January 30, 2009)

awesome, thanks, it's hard to tell when I can't see your eyes.

miniblindbandit (January 30, 2009)

i want a new drug.

da na na nuh na nuh

ghostbusters

baldsteve (January 30, 2009)

He got sued for that shit.

pufferfish (January 30, 2009)

The Vandals

Preston (January 30, 2009)

I think mine was Green Day Basket Case and Bush. I got them on the same day.

deadXlast (January 30, 2009)

Underoath.

JaredK (January 30, 2009)

Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

party-animal (January 30, 2009)

I got a megadeth sweatshirt when I was around 10 from my step-grandparets (no idea why or who they were). My first band t-shirt I bought was probably Alice Cooper Raise your fist and yell.

badbrain (January 30, 2009)

Korn. 3rd grade so ti's excusable. I didn't discover punk until 7th grade.

14theroad (January 30, 2009)

I feel for you, I think mine was too. Not all of us were given that Black Flag record by our older brother when we were twelve. Some of us had to find our own paths to get to this point. And some of those paths were dirty.

badbrain (January 31, 2009)

hear hear.

that said, I think my first punk shirt was either operation ivy, propagandhi or bad brains

kevgren (January 30, 2009)

Django Reinhardt

Cos (January 30, 2009)

Guttermouth.

I was so young....

Nameless (January 31, 2009)

Ramones.

Grue (January 31, 2009)

A Wilhelm Scream

pufferfish (January 30, 2009)

Who's more punx, Blake or Pete Wentz?

2+ Replies

JawbreakerSucks (January 30, 2009)

Pete, by far. He does what he wants without regard for what people think of him. Blake Schwarzen. is the opposite.

victim (January 30, 2009)

Hey JS what I've always thought you should play up is the fact that Blake is, well, fake. He's not what he presents himself as and he is all about ego.

Can't have that. Arrogance WILL kill ya..

kencollapse (January 30, 2009)

Sepultura

2+ Replies

BarleyPat (January 30, 2009)

What is "Metal Bands That BarleyPat Could Still Listen To"?

Ravnos (January 31, 2009)

Maybe up to Against. I actually liked that album and thought it showed they could continue without Max. Then their next album was terrible and I realised they couldn't.

Then Soulfly put out a bunch of shitty records, too, so fuck both bands.

But the old stuff was good.

jetsto (January 30, 2009)

they need to play the Harvest of Hope Fest

1+ Reply

14theroad (January 30, 2009)

Calm down. Let's not push this. Fest 8 is good enough. A lot more reasonable than AFR playing one show in the US.

Nene (January 30, 2009)

hells yea tommorow night
thorns of life
off with their heads

at gilman

victim (January 30, 2009)

Gotta agree with JS somewhat, Blake is stupid. You can't be that certain of your own intelligence and simultaneously THAT clueless by accident.

In the end hes just another Philistine but..

6+ Replies

David_Arquette (January 30, 2009)

Butt?

MilesQToast (January 30, 2009)

...cops rule

dlangl4 (January 30, 2009)

I think you get my award for funniest poster on this site.

And that's right, I have awards, that I give out sometimes.

victim (January 30, 2009)

In the end hes just another philistine but..

..its hard not to see him and others like him as one of the major obstacles to popular organizing and action in the United States right now

dlangl4 (January 30, 2009)

In the future, those obstacles you're referring to here are the same ones I am referring to when I say that I don't see how we are going to get past those obstacles via an attempt at real 'change' or what not.

I think one difference of opinion (between us) comes down to you believing that those obstacles can be overcome, and I (at least right now) don't. The ideas are too unpopular and whatnot.

BUT, all that's assuming that the world stays about the same. If shit starts happening fast, who knows. Anyway, I just thought I'd throw this out there.

victim (January 31, 2009)

uh, Blake represents like 1% of the populace -- useless liberal types -- and its at most 5%. Its just that societally everything seems to cater to that small demographic and their distorted world view and insidious logic of killing people to support their lifestyle while being oblivious to all of the carnage they cause AND feeling bad for every stupid ass cause (think PETA)

Blake is typical: well, I don't want to get cynical right away he says..and simultaneously another predator drone blows shit up in Pakistan..

dlangl4 (January 31, 2009)

Yeah, I'm not saying your wrong, and I even want you to be right. I'm just ridiculously skeptical in my life right now, so it carries over to my opinions.

victim (January 31, 2009)

We don't get the luxury of being cynical, thats the answer to your question

dlangl4 (January 30, 2009)

I had to look up what philistine meant. I feel like I'm out of the loop. Everyone either loves or hates this guy. I only have one Jawbreaker CD.

My point? I need more money to buy more CDs. Or I need to start downloading.

victim (January 30, 2009)

Blake is the type of dude who if he were just a bit more "radical" would be an academic Marxist/part-time socialist.

He is also more or less completely anathema to anyone serious about social change.

Blake fancies himself an intellectual obviously, but hes fucking kidding himself. The real intellectuals invariably end up in prison or dead..but its the only way to go..

I think Blake cleverly found an unfilled or underfilled "slice of life" niche with Jawbreaker but of all people I know who've ever been fans of Jawbreaker most count it as an embarassing episode in their life thats best forgotten.

But thats really beside my point

kevgren (January 30, 2009)

"Yes, did you know that I've commited The Illiad and The Odyssey to memory? Well, I have, but I won't do it for you, because it's not for mainstream consumption. Kind of like my music... did you know that some people at concerts have office jobs during the day? Makes me sick."

4+ Replies

victim (January 30, 2009)

yeah, thats almost verbatim

14theroad (January 30, 2009)

Yes, the ones that settle for not doing what they want with their lives.
Giving up is so punx.

kevgren (January 31, 2009)

No, everyone should be in a band or living in a squat. Trying to have steady work hours and health benefits is for posers.

14theroad (January 31, 2009)

This.

holybuble (January 31, 2009)

Jawbreaker Bivuac LP and Operation Ivy LP up for sale.send me a msg.

holybuble (January 31, 2009)

Jawbreaker Bivuac LP and Operation Ivy LP up for sale.send me a msg.

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